“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love… Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality… Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” -Romans 12:9-21

Having spent the last 4 years of ministry in “football country” aka Oklahoma, I have a deeper appreciation for Kick-off Sunday than ever before. And THIS SUNDAY is our Kick-Off for Fall Programs. We return to our regular worship schedule of 8:30 am Contemporary Worship and 11 am Classic Worship with Christian Education Hour at 9:45 am. It’s a wonderful time of year, the weather is cooling off, the smoke has cleared, the Broncos (or Seahawks, or Cougars, or Huskies or… your favorite team) are playing and we are back in the swing of Worship and Study. The football metaphor is particularly helpful in reminding us of what is fundamental. When you join a team, you must attend practice. When you have the essentials of the game, the “fundamentals” down, only then can you play and succeed.

Our Christian Life is much the same as joining the football team. We need to practice, we need to study, we need to get the fundamentals down. And keep practicing and keep studying and keep working on the fundamentals. Paul gives a great list of what is fundamental to our life of faith in Romans 12: “love each other, be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer, share with others in need, practice hospitality, rejoice and mourn with those who need you, live in harmony with one another..." And we keep striving every day to do this a little bit more and a little bit better than yesterday. We also need each other to succeed. We can learn incredible insights together and accomplish more for Christ when we work as a team, a unified Body of Christ.

The last fundamental in this list is “do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Recently we have been overwhelmed with the needs throughout our country and around the world. Hurricanes, floods, fires, school shootings, famine, earthquakes, and land slides, seem to be everywhere we look! And you may feel overcome by the evil and suffering and pain in this world, but Paul encourages us to overcome evil with good. We can do so much more when we work together and combine our efforts! We can reach out as the heart and hands of Christ to overcome evil with good in our community, our country, our world. The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program is a wonderful place to give to support overcoming the pain and hurt in this world and reach people in crisis and need. Their motto is “Out of chaos: HOPE.”

So let’s get out of the spectator seats of our Christian life and get on the field. Ask yourself, “Am I a fan, or am I on the field?” If you are uncertain where to begin, I encourage you to take a look at our list of classes and small groups and join a study group. We have something for everyone!

Gracious God, you made us for a purpose and you have a ministry that needs our unique gifts and abilities. Give us eyes to see that need, a heart of compassion to reach that need, and a willing spirit to give of our time, our effort, and our heart to meet that need. And remind us that wherever you call us to serve, we do not go alone. You are always with us. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

Youth Director Search Update:

We have conducted several Skype interviews with qualified candidates in the past weeks. A couple of them are visiting our church in the coming weekends. Please continue to pray for our Search Team and these candidates as we discern together God’s plan for our future Youth Ministry Director. We hope to have someone in place very soon.

Garden Sanctuary Makeover:

Thank you to our amazing volunteers who helped re-locate pews from the Garden Sanctuary throughout the building and collect all the inter-locking chairs from our facility and place them in rows in the Garden Sanctuary. We can seat over 200 comfortably in rows in the Garden Sanctuary. Who knew we had so many great chairs all around the church? It provides for flexibility and opportunity for creative worship experiences. It is a wonderful way to Kick-Off our fall programs and children’s Sunday School singing! Most of the unused pews have been spoken for but if you are still interested in having a pew, please talk to Pastor Hanna or Dave Burrill and we will see what we can do. Thank you for your support and openness to new possibilities in our church and in our worship spaces. We are excited to see how God uses this sacred space in years to come!

Ladies' Night Out meet on the 2nd Monday of each month at 6:30 pm in the Fireside Room. We have soup, salad, bread and fellowship. We are studying "First Corinthians - Living Love When We Disagree", by Melissa Spoelstrat. The Study Guide is $12.50 and available in the church office. Any questions about attending please call Bonnie Wilson at 509.948.7302 or email her at rogandbon50@gmail.com.

MORNING CIRCLE

A warm friendly group of Presbyterian women with a keen interest in bible study. We meet at 9:30 am in the South Alcove the 2nd Tuesday of each month from September 12 - May 8. We are studying "Cloud of Witnesses: The Community of Christ in Hebrews".

We always welcome visitors and guests.

BEST YEARS GROUP

Best Years Group meets on the 3rd Tuesday of the month in the First Pres Center for a potluck lunch and program starting in September and running through May.

Come join us on Tuesday, September 19 to hear about church electronics. Elder Dave Burrill will bring us up-to-date on the KFPC's uses of website, etc to communicate with our church members and beyond!

MEN'S BREAKFAST STUDY

Men's Breakfast Study is held on Wednesdays mornings, 7 am, at Cousin's in Pasco, WA. Please join us for faith, food, and fellowship.

WEDNESDAY MORNING

﻿WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY

Wednesday Morning Women’s Bible Study on the second Wednesday of the month at @ 9 am in Room 109. We seek to “Discover the Voice of God”. Priscilla Shirer leads us in how to recognize when God speaks.

If you have any questions or want to join please contact Shirley Telligan at 509-545-8892.

THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY

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Thursday Morning (Lib)

10:00 am

September 14, 2017 - May 24, 2018

Please come join us as we read the passages for Sunday's Worship to prepare our hearts and minds to receive God's word.

MEN'S FRIDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY

We meet Friday mornings at the Columbia Center I-Hop Restaurant for breakfast at 6:30 am and Bible Study at 7 am. We will be continuing our study in the book of Romans. For information or questions you can call Ken at 545-0664.

ADULT EDUCATION STARTS

Sunday, September 17

9:45 am

Financial Peace - Facilitated by Melissa & Bill Ruzicka (Library)

History of Calvin - Facilitated by Sylvia Harris (Rm 109)

Wednesday, September 20

6:30 pm

"Third Way" Calling Cohort -Informational Meeting

Facilitated by Ashley Birk (Library)

Look on the Information Table for a description of the classes and sign-up sheets.

KFPC CHANCEL CHOIR NEWS

Summer is winding down. Through the smoke and the haze autumn is making its way into our days. New music is in the air as the KFPC Chancel Choir returns to their 2017 schedule at First Pres.

Our first rehearsal was Wednesday, September 6 at 7 pm as scheduled. The second rehearsal was Wednesday, September 13 at 7 pm in the Main Sanctuary. We are back in service for the 11 am worship service for Sunday, September 17, 2017. We will meet at 10:15 am for a short rehearsal prior to the 11:00 am service.

We are welcoming several new faces, and if you are new to KFPC, and feel you are called to this ministry, you are welcome! Please join us! Do not let what you think about your musicianship stop you. You will be given the tools you need to succeed! You will also be given the opportunity to serve.

If you are willing to work hard, if you enjoy fellowship, the Chancel Choir is for you. We have some lofty goals, and we need you! We will be working on beautiful new music for fall, Advent, Christmas and Easter. If you have any questions, call me at 509.851.2562. My wife Kathy can answer your questions too at 509.308.1390.

As ever,

John P. Owen

Calling all High Schoolers.... LYFE Ahead for September! We've got lots going on -- and we want all of you to be a part of it! See you this Sunday and every Sunday in September for LYFE Together!

KID'S IN ACTION!!!

Starting September 20 our Kids in Action Group is back!

A space is saved for every kid, kindergartner thru 5th grade. This high energy program teaches kids life virtues thru small groups, service projects and worship.

5:30 ~ 7:00 pm

Every Wednesday

NEW MEMBERS CLASS

Are you interested in becoming a member of Kennewick First Presbyterian Church? Would you like to know the history of the Presbyterian Church and what is involved to be a member? We will meet Sundays in October at 9:45 am in Fireside Room. New Members will join the church on Sunday, October 29. Please look for sign up sheet in the Narthex.

AGAPE BELL RINGERS﻿

The Agape Bell Choir rehearses on Tuesdays starting in October from 6:30 - 8:00 pm. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Kitty Baird at (509) 783-0242.

HOMEWORK HELPERS NEEDED

The NEW Westgate Elementary School means a new building and a new time for Homework Helpers. We’ll meet the kids before school from 7:30 to 8:10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning in October. We’ll help them with their homework (think spelling, math facts, counting, reading, etc.). Even more important, we’ll let them know we’re there because we care about them.

Can YOU help? Save some time on your schedule and in your heart for these precious children. Formal teaching credentials are NOT necessary—just a love for kids!We hope you can commit to both Tuesday and Thursday mornings, but we are grateful for any time you can give. You will need to fill out a simple volunteer form for the Kennewick School District before you begin. It’s available at ksd.org. Click on Community, then Volunteer.

As you bless these kids with the gift of your time, working with them is guaranteed to bless you! Please pray about this, and if you feel that holy nudge, contact Kathy Dechter right away at 627-0950 or at ktdechter@gmail.com. We need YOU!

YARD / BAKE SALE

October 6 & 7, 2017

8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Yard Sale Items Drop Off:

Sunday, Oct 1 - Tuesday, Oct 3: During office hours

Wednesday, Oct 4 from 9 am-7 pm

Thursday, Oct 5 from 9 am-1 pm

Baked Goods Drop Off:

Thursday, Oct 5 - afternoon

Yard Sale Set-up:

Monday, Oct 2 - Tuesday, Oct 3 during office Hours

Wednesday, October 4, 9 am - 7 pm

Thursday, October 5, 9 am - tired

Apple Pie Baking:

Thursday, Oct 5, 9:30 am

Sale:

Friday, Oct 6, 8 am - 3 pm

Saturday, Oct 7, 8 am - 3 pm

Clean-Up:

Saturday, Oct 7, 3 pm - ?

Sign up sheets are on the Information Counter.

A big THANK YOU for your help and support.

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Larry and Yvonne Towner have been lifted up by all the prayers, cards, visits, calls and food for us over the past several months! The support of you, our church family, has been a blessing that continues to lift our spirits. We thank you so much and ask for continued prayers during the next several months as Yvonne works toward complete recovery. You are truly the hearts and hands of Jesus!

FOLLOWING THE FOOTSTEPS OF PAUL

If you didn't get to go on the tour to the Greek Isles in 2010, here is your chance to walk in the footsteps of Paul. By request, the tour is being offered again by the same couple that we have traveled to Rome and Israel with, David and Elizabeth Sparks.

David's background as a Presbyterian minister makes the things we have studied come alive! Elizabeth is a native Greek and gives the tour a personal touch.

Something to think about… If you are interested please contact Gary Miller as soon as possible at (509) 627-5111 for more details.